Getter for vacuum tubes



p 1937- A HASLAUER GETTER VACUUM TUBES Original Filed Jan. 22, 1934INVENTOR ADOLF HASLAUER.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GETTER FORVACUUM TUBES Adolf Haslauer, East Orange, N. J.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a flag gettercup for vacuum tubes. The present application contains the same subjectmatter as applicants abandoned patent application No. 707,689, filedJanuary 22, 1934..

In vacuum tube constructions it is customary to provide a flag gettercup for the purpose of holding some highly reactive metal such ascalcium, magnesium and barium, in a position to be exposed to electronbombardment on the last stage, for heating it to its vaporizationtemperature and causing chemical action for aiding in the evacuating ofthe vacuum tube.

In prior devices it has been customary to construct such flag gettercups from sheet metal formed with a pressed out portion producing apocket into which the calcium or other material is disposed, and weldingscreen material over the pocket for holding the reactive metal so thatthe fumes may escape upon vaporization. The construction of this gettercup necessarily is expensive in that the welding operation is a delicateoperation which is produced by hand.

This invention has for an object to construct a getter cup which ischaracterized by a continuation from the sheet metal body portionthereof adapted to be bent across the pocket for the purpose of closingthe pocket holding the highly reactive metal within the pocket, and toarrange said continuation with a plurality of perforations to allow theescape of vapors during the electron bombardment.

Still further the invention also proposes an arrangement whereby thecontinuation is locked into its operative position.

Furthermore the invention contemplates the provision of a tonguecontinuation upon the edge of said continuation and adapted to engage inan aperture in the body of said flag getter cup for the purpose ofholding the pocket closed.

Another one of the objects of this invention is the arrangement of acontinuation from the body of the flag getter cup which is adapted toextend across the pocket and which is formed with an opening adapted tobe covered by a screen clamped into position when said continuation isplaced in its operative position.

Still further the invention proposes the construction of articles asmentioned which are simple and durable and which may be manufactured andsold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the apcircuit may be traced through theelement 2| to pended claims in which the various novel features of theinvention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of thisdisclosure:--

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a portion of a 5.

vacuum tube equipped with a flag getter cup according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the flag getter cup per se.

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom elevational view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a developed view of material to be formed into a getter cupaccording to a modification of this invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view as though taken on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 6but illustrating the material properly bent into the finished gettercup.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating another embodimentof this invention. 20

Fig. 9 is a sectional view as though taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8, butshowing the getter cup in its fully operative position.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the mount of a vacuum tube has been illustrated merelyfor the purpose of dis: closing the association of the flag getter cupthereon. This mount comprises a glass stem ||l upon which the variouselements of the tube are supported. This tube is of the screen type andis shown provided with a cylindrical screen I having support bars l3 atthe sides. These support bars are welded or in any other manner securedto a support l5 projecting from the top of the glass stem I0 and asupport |6 extending through the glass stem and connecting with a wirel6 constituting the lead for the screen. The plate ll of the tube is ofcylindrical form and supported on one side by the element l8 projectingfrom the top of the glass stem I0 and at the other side of the elementl9 also supported upon the glass stem 40 IE but continuing into the leadIQ for the plate connection. The filament 2|! is arranged within theplate I1 and supported by a bar 2| which is Welded at the bottom endupon a support 22 projecting from the top of the glass stem I0. Leads 23are leads connecting with the filament for energizing the filament.

A continuation from the support l3 supports the flag getter cup 25. Thisflag getter cup isv located immediately below the lower point of thesupport 2|. A lead 26 connects with the upper end of the support 2| fora circuit to cause the electron bombardment of the getter cup. This thegetter cup, then the support I 3 to the support 16 and then the lead l6.

One particular type of tube has been selected for the purpose ofillustrating the invention but it must be borne in mind that theinvention relates merely to the details of the getter cup 25. The mannerof obtaining the circuit for the electron bombardment of the getter cupis not important though one circuit has been illustrated so that theinvention may be understood. The getter cup is used during theevacuating of the casing of the vacuum tube into which the mount isplaced and sealed. The getter cup according to this invention comprisessheet metal material adapted to be attached to an electrode or otherportion in the vacuum tubeto be in the bombardment circuit and having afiat surface 26 with a pressed out portion 21 forming a pocket 28 forholding highly reactive material for the electron bombardment.

A perforated continuation 29 from the said fiat surface 26 is bentacross the bottom of the pocket 28 to close the'pocket and hold the saidmaterial therein. The getter cup is provided with a portion 30 bent atright angles to the flat surface 26 and having a pressed outsemi-circular portion 3! into which a wire may be engaged for attachingthe sheet metal upon the electrode. The flat surface 26 is also shownwith a pressed out portion 32 for the same purpose.

A continuation of support 13 or any other adjacent support is connectedor welded to a convenient position on the getter cup flag 25. Getter cupflag 25 will now be supported as an integral part of the complete mountassembly. In supporting getter cup flag 25 it is to be so positioned asto be subjected to the heating effect of the high frequency field of thebombarding apparatus necessary to bring the metal of the getter cup flag25 to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the active metal contained inthe enclosure consisting of pocket 28 and perforated tongue 29.

As illustrated on the drawing the getter cup is supported by the wire l3engaging the pressed out portion 32 welded into position. In some typesof tubes it may be best to support the getter cup by a wire extendingvertically and for this reason the sheet metal is also provided with thevertical recesses 3|. The feature of the invention lies solely in thefact that the perforated portion 29 is a continuation from the fiatsurface 26 and is adapted to be bent beneath the fiat surface for thepurpose of closing the pocket 28. This distinguishes from priorconstructions wherein screen material was placed below the pocket 28 toclose the pocket and welded in position. The feature of thisconstruction is that the flag getter cup may be formed from one stampingbent merely into proper shape.

. In Figs. 6 and '7 a modification of the invention has been disclosedin which a tongue 33 in the form of a small continuation from the freeend of the continuation Z9 is adapted to engage in an opening 33 inportion 30 for the purpose of locking the continuation 29 into itsclosed position. Fig. 7 illustrates the getter cup in the closedposition. It should be noticed that the tongue 33 extends through theopening 34 and so holds the highly reactive material 35 within thepocket 38 produced by the pressed out portion 21. In'other respects thisform of the invention is similar to the previous form and correspondingparts may be recognized by the identical reference numerals.

In Figs. 8 and 9 another form of the invention has been disclosedwherein screen material is extended over the pocket for closing thepocket and held in place by a bent portion of sheet material of thegetter cup. More particularly this getter cup is shown provided with acontinuation 29' having a recessed portion 36 with a central opening 31acting as a frame for a small piece of screen material 38. Thecontinuation 29 is also provided with the tongue 33 adapted to engagethe opening 34. The arrangement is such that after the highly reactivematerial 35 has been engaged into the pocket 28 then the continuation 29is extended across the pocket so that the screen 38 closes the pocketand the tongue 33 of the continuation is engaged through the opening 34for the purpose of locking the continuation 29 in the operativeposition. A feature of this form is that screen material has been usedfor closing the pocket and this screen material is firmly secured inplace without the necessity of welding, being held in place merely bythe opening of a certain portion of the body of the getter cup.

It is to be understood that in connection with this device, any reactivemetal may be used, such as calcium, magnesium, barium, cerium, etc.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:-

1. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal with acontinuation adapted to be attached on an electrode and having a flatsurface with a pressed out portion forming a pocket for holding highlyreactive material for electron bombardment, a perforated continuationfrom one side of said flat surface bent across said pocket to hold saidreactive material therein, a second continuation projecting at rightangles from the other side of said flat surface and to the same side assaid perforated continuation, and engaging a tongue on the edge of saidperforated continuation for holding said pocket closed.

2. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal adapted tobe attached on an electrode and having a fiat surface with a pressed outportion forming a pocket for holding highly reactive material forelectron bombardment, a perforated continuation from said flat surfacebent across said pocket to hold said reactive material therein, and acontinuation from the other side of said flat surface extended at rightangles and to the same side as said continuation, and a tongueprojecting from the edge of said first continuation and engageable withsaid second continuation for holding the continuation across saidpocket.

3. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal with acontinuation adapted to be attached on an electrode and having a flatsurface with a pressed out portion forming a pocket for holding highlyreactive material for electron bombardment, a perforated continuationfrom said fiat surface bent across said pocket to hold said reactivematerial therein, and a tongue projecting from the edge of said secondmentioned continuation and engageable with said first continuation forholding the continuation across said pocket, said tongue extendingthrough an opening in said first continuation.

4. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal having atop flat surface with a vertical continuation at one side, a portion ofsaid flat surface being pressed upwards forming a pocket for holding ahighly reactive material for electron bombardment, a perforatedcontinuation from said flat surface directly opposite said vertical sidefor extending across said pocket to close the pocket and having a tongueengageable through an opening in said vertical side.

5. A blank to be folded into a flag getter cup for vacuum tubes,comprising sheet material having a central portion with a pressed outarea for forming a pocket for holding highly reactive material forelectron bombardment and having a perforated continuation on one sideadapted to be bent across the pocket to close the pocket, and alsohaving a tongue continuation on said perforated continuation forengaging an opening in said sheet metal to lock the perforatedcontinuation in place.

6. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal adapted tobe attached to an electrode and having a flat surface with a pressed outportion forming a pocket for holding highly reactive material forelectron bombardment, a continuation from said flat surface forextending across said pocket to close said pocket and having a pressedout portion forming a frame with a centrol opening, and a screen withinsaid pressed out portion constituting the frame for closing the pocket.

'7. A flag getter cup for vacuum tubes, comprising sheet metal adaptedto be attached to an electrode and having a flat surface with a pressedout portion forming a pocket for holding highly reactive material forelectron bombardment, a continuation from said flat surface forextending across said pocket to close said pocket and having a pressedout portion forming a frame with a central opening, and a screen withinsaid pressed out portion constituting the frame for closing the pocket,and a tongue upon said continuation engageable with a portion of saidsheet metal to hold the continuation in fixed position.

ADOLF HASLAUE-R.

